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Named for the whiskey, the small city of Bourbon is in Crawford County, Missouri. The city was founded in the early 1800s, and is the only town in the United States named for Bourbon whiskey. The southern branch of the Pacific Railroad was completed to Rolla in 1860, bringing settlers to the area to homestead or settle on land granted to Veterans of the War of 1812, although there were already several farmers living in the region. The first official town in the area that was laid out was a mile and a half from the current town of Bourbon, and named St. Cloud. Meanwhile, a man by the name of Richard Turner established a general store west of St. Cloud that catered to settlers and railroad workers. Camps were set up along the railroad right of way, where railroad workers stayed for several months at a time. Most of the workers were Irish immigrants who were used to drinking whiskey, so Turner imported barrels of Bourbon whiskey. As a lare barrel labeled “Bourbon” sat on the porch of his store, the store became known as the Bourbon Store and eventually the entire area was known as Bourbon. When a post office was established in St. Cloud in 1853, it was given the name of Bourbon, although the focus of new construction was concentrated nearer to Turner’s store, as it was a better place for the steam engines to start and stop, there being no grade to the track in that location. Bourbon is located along I-44, southwest of Sullivan and northeast of Cuba.

 

 

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